HCA: Hermit Crab Association

I got attached to a crab I saw at a local store the other day and upon researching, I found that setting up a tank and taking care of a few wouldn't be too difficult for me. Its certainly more budget friendly compared to a hamster or colony of rats and should not interfere with my ability to move. (Since I assume most house/apartment owners would classify them in a fish category)

My plan so far was to grab 2-3 from the store and place them into a 10 gallon. I wanted to start with a 20 gallon but I couldn't find any new or used secondhand that weren't overpriced or available at my Walmart in town. However, a Petco within 40 miles of me has a 20 gallon that I might be able to talk someone into giving me a ride to pick up, or I could check other places nearby. The topic of screen covers are a debated one, yet that seems to be my only option right now. I live in Florida so I assume humidity will not be a hassle for most of the year, however if things get dire I did plan on using the plastic wrap method or sucking up the $30-40+ for a glass lid. Planned on using a mix of beach sand I've had for years (just needs to be cleaned), play sand and some eco earth. I bought a under tank heater for side usage as well in case they needed it. The house is normally around 70-74 which is on the lower end of their temperature tolerance so I likely will. As for lighting they will go into my bedroom where they should get access to sunlight from my window and I was going to attach a led strip light to the top of the screen cage in case that wasn't enough/for nighttime viewing. If the same one for my corkboard is still at the store I'll use that as I can change the color and brightness with a remote in a snap. Red or blue for evening and the warm setting or orange for the daytime. Food would likely be a mix of cooked unseasoned scraps, fruits + veggies, whatever safe dried foods I could find on etsy or other places and a source of calcium like eggshells or a cuttlebone. Dechlorinator and salts I would likely find in a petstore nearby and since there is fish in the house, I might not even need to get my own dechlorinator.

Now for the questions. What should I look for in a temp + humidity gauge? A lot that I found on Amazon were cheap, yet had complains of being inaccurate or breaking very quickly. The home ones seemed like they would be too big or break in high humidity. Is it okay to get the crabs first and then source shells after to ensure that I have the exact sizes + types I need? If I need to order them, I can't see them taking weeks to ship unless something goes wrong. How sensitive are they to scents in the air such as incense, essential oils, candles and room sprays? Should those be avoided just in my room or in the house as a whole? Would the nearby bathroom being cleaned cause issues as the scents from that can wander into my room? Should I be concerned or avoid getting crabs if my neighborhood occasionally gets sprayed for mosquitoes. It didn't happen for most of this summer but it was a frequent thing last year. Anything else I should know as a potential owner?

The home ones don’t last more than a year. Anything made for enclosures or outdoors would last longer, but remember to calibrate your hygrometer regardless. Those things are unwieldy.

If you’re not sure about shell size you can wait to get them.

I would avoid scented sprays or aerosols in the room, but in other rooms should be fine. If you’re concerned just close your bedroom door while cleaning the bathroom.

Hopefully you can close your windows when your neighborhood is sprayed. If you’re really cautious you can turn off your air-conditioning to keep out outside air but that’s probably overkill.


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Hey there!

Welcome to the HCA, we're happy to have you! Crabs are so interesting and now you know how easy it is to get attached to them.

As you mentioned, screen lids are pretty debated, but in my years of crabbing, I never had good luck with them. Like you, I also live in Florida, but I also have a central air cooling system (assuming you do, too) and the humidity outside doesn't necessarily translate to humidity inside your home. It's pretty unlikely that you have 80-85% humidity in your home naturally. If you do go the screen lid route, it's pretty easy to add a damp cloth on top to keep the humid air in. I've also heard people using saran or cling wrap with success as well. Lids, even with built in lighting, are pretty affordable for a tank of the size you are looking for. So a screen lid with wrap or a towel can work to start for sure, and you can always make a 'fancy top with a light' a goal for later on!

I also keep my house around 70-74 during the year, and the tank is pretty consistent at 75 without the use of a heater. I have a under tank heater on the back of my tank (covers around 2/3 of the length) and that keeps it at a cozy 78-81 depending on the side you're on.

I would have a few shells on hand before getting them - maybe just have an idea of what you're looking to get before? I order mine from Naples Sea Shell Company and they have incredibly fast shipping and they always come in beautifully. Totally okay to wait until you get them - but doesn't hurt to have them before, either.

I don't do any sprays or scents in my crab room, but I do use wallflowers in the other rooms and it's never seem to affect them.

I would definitely make sure that your windows are closed during the mosquito spraying, if you know when it's going to happen.

For the temperature and humidity gauge, I would use one recommended for a reptile enclosure. I find that the digital ones are much easier to manage vs. the analogue versions. The analogue ones tend to do some crazy things on me when I had them back in the day.

Sounds like you'll have a good selection for food. I also feed mine a protein with veggies and fruits each day. I use HelloFresh, so they usually get whatever protein I'm having that night and I just cook it beforehand without any salt/pepper/seasoning. I use frozen veggies and fruit (no additives or sugars) and defrost a few of them daily. I also rotate in peanut butter, eggs, honey. I always have a dry food dish as well and have purchased from a few Etsy shops before. My crabs go nuts over the dry mixes!! The Hermit Grub on Etsy has some incredible options and my crabs have always loved anything from there I've put in.

For anything else, I would suggest reading this forum, ask questions, and read some care guides on here. We're a pretty friendly bunch and a lot of us have been around for several years. Also, as a word of warning, I think that people do different things for their crabs - and that's okay. I take a very hands off and relaxed approach with mine. They can be quite finicky, but with the basic needs (substrate, heat, humidity, shells, food, water), they are actually quite a hardy bunch (considering if you get purple pinchers). I often think people forget that even their conditions in the wild aren't perfect. Sometimes their humidity dips for a day or two, the temp gets cold, food isn't available for a few days, and yet, they survive.

Just my two cents for ya!

Jeff